Hood latch



April 25 1933 s. DE. oRLow 1,905,814

HOOD LATCH Filed Aug. 51, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 l fill/lll.

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April 25, 1933. s. DE. oRLow Hoon LATCH VFiled Aug. :51. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ttouuqf APT 25, 1933. s. DE. oRLow 1,905,814

HOOD LATCH Filed Aug. s1, 1931 s sheets-sheet s aww/Mot Patented Apr. 25, 1933.

STEPHEN DE OBLOW, OFADETBOIT, MCHIGAN,'ASSIGNOR TO TEBNSTEDT MANUFAC TUBING COMPANY,

0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF lICHIGAIN noon LATCH Application iled August 31, 1931. Serial No. 566,340.

This invention relates to latches and has particular reference to a latch for the hoods of automotive vehicles.

l In the past, it has beencustomary to use a plurality of independent hooks or latches, usually two, to hold down the hood on the chassis frame. easy to operate and havecaused some annoy.- ance and it is the object of the invention to combine the two hooks with a single operating member which is easy to operate and which will firmly hold the hood in its lowered position. l

The structure of the invention by which the object is accomplished consists in placing two brackets,one each at the dashboard and at the radiator shell closely adjacent the hood in its lowered position. Secured to the inside of the hood adjacent each bracket is a mounting member or bracket which has pivotally mounted thereon a hook which engages under the bracket when the hood is in lowered position. Each hook has an arm to each of which a link is secured, the links extending toward each other and being connected at their center by a resilient connection. A handle extending without the hood and journalled in the hood panel is rigidly securedto the connection and operates the same to cause the hooks to become engaged with or disengaged from the brackets.

The hook may also be in the form of the end of a coil spring, the spring being coiled about and rigidly secured to the pivot. Where this type of hook is used, the connection between the links need not be a' resilient one but they may be interconnected by means of an ordinary link.

Where it is desired to operate the hooks independently, the linkage may be dispensed with and an individual handle journally mounted in the hood adjacent each mounting member.

n On the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a side view of a hood of an .automotive vehicle showing the application of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detailed viewof the bracket and mounting member, the Ihood be dotted line. position showing These hooks have not been tion.

f Figure 3 is a view 'of the connection betweenthe links which operate the hooks, the

the other exthe connection. v Figure 4 is apsection on `the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure Figure 3. e

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Fifrure 7 is an expanded view of the connection zbetween the handle and the connecting member' of the links. v

Figures 8 and 9 are views of a modiii'cation corresponding to Figures 2 and 4, Figure 8 .being taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Figure 9.

Figures 10, 11 and 13 are views of the secgnd ncdication corresponding to Figures 3,-

- Figure 12 is a perspective detail view of the treme position of 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 14 is a view corresponding to Figure 1 of a second modification showing the hooks with individual handles.y

Figure i15 is a sectional detailed view through the hood latch.

Figure 16 is an enlarged detail elevation of the hood latch looking from the inside of the hood.

Figure 17 is an expanded view of the handle in interconnecting parts. p i Referring toth drawings, the numeral 2 lndicates the hood of an automotive vehicle, 4 the cowl, 6 the radiator yshell, and 8 the chassis frame. Between thehood 2 and the cowl 4, the usual dashboard l0 is provided.

Secured to the dashboard l() and tothe radiator Shell 6 are the brackets 12. -The brackets may be of any suitable shape and the porpreferably inclined. Thel hooks 16 are pivoted to a bracket 18 having the ears 20 and 22 through which there pass rivets 24 by means of which the bracket is secured to the hood 2. The bracket has the middle inclined portion' 26 provided with an opening for'the reception ofthe pivot or stud 28. 'The pivot ing removed for purposes of clearer illustra- -pivot or stud on which the hook is mounted. i

y ltion to receive the end 140i the hooks 16 is' v is coiled about the stud ,and is under tensionl and constantly urges the stud and the hook 16 into engagement with the bracket 12.

The hook 16 has the arm 40 extending above the pivot 28 and has pivotally connected thereto by means of the bolt 42 the link 44 which extends toward the, center ofthe hood as shown in Figure 1. Integral fingers 45 on the bracket 18 limit the movement ofthe arm 40. The two linksf44 meet at the center of the hood as shown in Figures 1 and 3 and are interconnected by means of the resilient connection indicated as a whole at 46. The connection comprises the channel 48 formed of a piece of metal bent to rectangular form and having a portion of its ends bent over as shown at 50 to form stops for the blocks 52. Each link 44 is pivoted at its end to a block 52 by means of a pin 54 and suitable slots 56 are provided in the channel 48 to allow for the swinging movement of the links. The blocks 52 are slidable in the channel and a coil springl 58 is confined in the channel between the blocks and 'always urges the blocks away from each other.

At the split 60 of the channel 48, tongues 62 are bent therefrom which engage inl openings 64 in a bracket 66. The bracket 66 has a squared shank portion for the reception of the squared end 68 of a handle 70. A pin 72 secures the' squared portion 68 in the squared portion of the bracket 66.

The hood 2 isprovided with an opening 73 at its lower center adjacent the meetingpoint of the links 44. Interiorly of the` hood, there is positioned a reinforcing member 74 and exteriorly of the hood a reinforcing member 76 which have conformable openings 78 which mate with the opening 73 in the hood.

The members 74 and 76 are secured together by suitable threaded bolts passing through the openings 80 from the interior of the hood and being screwthreaded in the member 7 6. The reinforcing member 74 has an integral tongue 82 bent therefrom the purpose of which is to serve as a stop forthe swing of the handle v70. The handle passes through the openings 78 and is journalled therein. Adjacent the reinforcing member 74 the handle has mounted thereon the disc 84 which fits over the squared portion 68. The disc has the cut-out 1portion 86 which fits over the tongue 82. f the disc 84 is rotated in either direction, the shoulders at the end of the cutout portion 86 will strike the tongue 82 to limit the movement of the handle.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The-locked or latched position of the parts is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 in full lines. In the dotted outline in Figures 2 and 3, the unlatched position is shown. By moving the handle from the position shown in Figure 1 and turning it to the left, the handle will move the channel 48 and'cause the pivot pins 54to`swing the links 44 away from the connection. The links will act on the arms40 of the hooks to cause them to swingon the pivots 28 and move the hooks 16 away from the brackets 12, or to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2. The hood may now be raised by lifting upward on the handle 70. When thevl hoodv is lowered, the handle is swung tothe right to againreturn the parts to the lpositions shown in Figures 2 and 3. In the position shown .in'Figure 3, it will benoted that the pins 54 are slightly overcentered with reference to the axis of swing of the handle 70 so that there'will be no tendency of the handle to rattle. In addition, the spring ,'58 will force the blocks 52 toward the end of the column 48 to'urge the hooks 14 tightly into engagement with the brackets 12 and take up any play in the parts. When the handle is operated to release the catches, the springs 34 will aid in throwing back the catches 16. n

In the species show n in Figures 8 to 13, the connection 46 between the links 44 is made by the link 48. The handle 70 has the squared end 68 which ts in the squared socket in the link 48 and is held thereon by means of the nut 86. .The handle has secured thereto the disc 84 having the ycut-out segment 86. The cut-out segment 86 cooperates with a finger 82 on a reinforcin member 74 secured to the -inside of the hood 2 by means of the rivets 88. The rivets 88 also hold in position the outer reinforcing member 76. The reinforcing member 74' has the extending collar portion 90 which lits against the disc 84 and holds the disc and link 48 spaced from the hood 2.

The hook 16 is in the shape of a coil spring 92, the. end 94 of which is -secured in a slot 96 in the stud of pivot 28 journalled in the bracket 18. The hook spring 92 is coiled about the pivot 28y and its free end 14 forms the hook whichengages under the bracket 12. The spring 92'is coiledv under tension and is held from uncoiling or eX- panding by means of the ,bent end 96 of a lever 98 ri idly mounted on the pivot 28 by means o la squared connection at 100 and the peened-over portion 102. The bracket '18 has a cylindrical extension 104 for the reception of the pivot 28 which has a flange 106 to form a head and which abuts against the end of the extension 104. A coil spring 34 is wound about the extension and has its endl Laces ia same as that of the spring 34 in the species of Figures 1, 2 and 4.

The operation of the structure of Figures 8 to 13, inclusive, is substantially the same as that of Figures 1 to 7 inclusive. The o eration of the handle 7 0 will throw the links from the full line position in Figure 10 to the dotted line position. The links 44 will operate the levers 98 to cause the bentend 96 to move the hooks 16 from underneath the brackets 12. One of the intermediary positions of the hook 16 is shown in the dotted outlines 16 in Figure 8. The continued movement of the link 44 will finally throw the hook 16 to a position where it will clear the bracket 12.

The dotted line position 16a in Figure 8 shows the position which the spring hook 16 would occupy if the bracket 12 were not interposed. The bent end 96 of the lever 98 is in the full line osition (Figure 8) when the hood is in locked or latched position. The spring 92, 16 will take up any play or looseness 1n the mechanism and eliminates the necessity for the spring 58 in Figure 1.

In the species of Figures 14 to 17, inclusive, the invention is shown as applied to individual handles for each latch. The handles 7 0 are journally mounted in the hood 2 by means of the reinforcing member 7 4 secured to the hood by means of the rivets 88. A. stud 108 is secured in an opening in the handle 7 0 by means of the squared connection 110 and the peened-over portion 112. The stud 108 is journalled in the reinforcing member 74 and secured to the other end an arm 114 by means of the nut 116.

The reinforcing member 74" has formed thereon a bracket portion 18 which has formed thereon the cylindrical extension 104 in which there is journally mounted the pivot' 28" The pivot has an enlarged head 106 and a shank 118 which is slotted at 120 to receive the end of a coil spring 122 which has an end 124 which forms the hook which engages under the bracket 12. The spring is wound under tension similarly to the spring of the species of Figures 8 and 9 and is prevented from uncoiling by means of the bent end 96 on a lever 98 rigidly mounted v on the pivot 28 by means of a squared connection and eened-over portion 102'. The lever 98 has t e cam slot 126 at its opposite end and in the cam slot 126 there is received the pin 128 rigidly secured to the end of the arm 114.

The arm 144 has the shoulders 130 which strike against a bent-'up tongue 132 formed from the reinforcing member 7 4 rlhe urpose of the shoulders 130 and tongue 132 1s to limit the throw of the handle 70".

A spring 34 is provided which has the same function as the spring 34 in Fi ure 9.

The operation of the structure 0 Figures 14 to 17 is as follows: The full line position in Figure 16 shows the intermediary position of the parts between the latched and unlatched position. The dotted line position shows the locked or latched position of the parts. lf it is desired to unlock the hood, the handle 70 is rotated to swing the arm 114 clockwise (Figure 16) to cause the in 128 in the slot 126 to. swing the arm 98 te the right. rlhis will cause the angle end 96 to engage the hook end 124 to swing it from the dotted line position throu h the full line osition and to a position w ere it will be ree of the catch 12. By moving the second handle 70", the second hook w1ll be disengaged and the hood may now be raised. The springs 122 and 34 will prevent the parts from rattling and will always insure an easy and noiseless movement of the parts.

I claim: Y 1. ln a hood latching means, a luralit of links having overlapping ends aus exten ing away from each other inside the hood, a resilient connection between said overlapping ends comprising a hollow member, a spring in said member, blocks slidable in said member and urged apart by the spring, said ends secured to said blocks, and a handle to 4 move said member to operate said links.

2. In a hood latching means, a lurality of links having overlapping ends an extending away from each other inside the hood, means interconnecting said ends, said interconnecting means including a resilient element to allow relative movement between said connection and said ends, and a handle connected to said interconnecting means to operate said links.

3. 1n a hood latching means, a plurality of links having overlapping ends and extending away from each other, a link operating member, means to which said ends are pivotally connected, said last-named means retained by said member and movable relative thereto, and a handle connected to said member.

1n testimony whereof 1 ax my si ature.

STEPHEN DE OR 0W. 

